An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s8.11

v1.c9.s8.11

This pottery gained prominence when identical material came from Kot Diji, 40 km e. of Mohenjo-daro, on the left bank of the Indus, excavated by F.A. Khan of the Dept. of Arch., Pakistan, in 1955-6. The site covers an area of 175 × 125 m and is divided into a citadel and a lower city area. In the citadel area layers 1 to 3 contained remains of the mature Harappa culture and after an intervening burnt deposit layers 4 to 16 contained pre-Harappa material. In the lower city area layers 1 to 3 produced mature Harappa pottery [11.3] and after an intervening burnt layer, layers 3 to 5 contained pre-Harappa material. The characteristic feature of the Kot Diji pre-Harappa occupation is a mud-brick defence wall built on a stone foundation, which was in use through the Kot Diji period but not used during the mature Harappa period. Seven levels of structural activity have been found inside the citadel. Mud or mud-brick structures of stone foundations have been encountered. For the lower city area ¹⁴C dates of 2330 ± 155 and 2250 ± 137 B.C. are available.